It's hard to believe finals have crept up already. Depending on how midterms went, this may be more frightening for some of you than others. But no matter if you're sailing through with flying colors, or struggling to pass, there are a couple of things you should avoid at all costs to ensure final exams go smoothly.

1. Starting Last Minute. Everyone crams the night before, that's a given. But what you shouldn't do is wait until the night before to compile your study materials. Get together all the texts and notes a couple of days before the exam, that way if you are missing a book or were absent one day, you'll have time to get the materials from someone else.

2. Going Out. Put a huge X through your social calendar the night before an exam. You may think you know all the information and stopping by the party for a few minutes won't hurt, but don't chance it. Save it for the end-of-finals celebration.

3. Hitting Snooze: Set your alarm clock a good hour before the test and don't let yourself have that extra five minutes. There is nothing worse than waking up three hours later and realizing you've missed the exam (we've seen it happen and the tears dripping down your face as you plead with your prof isn't pretty).

4. Skipping breakfast. Some good food options to rev you up for your test are bananas, eggs, and whole-wheat toast. If you don't eat breakfast normally, at least have your tea or coffee. You need something in your system to wake you up, stabilize your blood sugar and keep you focused, especially if you were up cramming all night.

5. Leaving Blanks. This isn't the SAT's; wrong answers won't set you back more then blanks. Even if you have no idea what your teacher is asking, make something up. Chances are something you remember from your study guide is relevant and your teacher is likely to give you a couple of points for trying.